The Perfect Bedtime Story
by frequentscribbler
Summary: Fanfic number ten! This is a piece that I wrote many months ago but lost, thankfully the notepad turned up. Peter is on his own looking after Freddie (7) and Edie (4), whilst Chummy is out with Trixie and Cynthia. The two are very hyper and Peter tries to calm them down with a story, it doesn't exactly turn out how he planned, it goes better than he thought.


_A Good Bedtime Story._

_'__**Just go! I'll be fine!'**__ Said Peter as he pushed Chummy out of the living room door. __**'We're going to have a great night, aren't we Freddie?'**_

_Freddie just nodded, he was currently bouncing around, from sofa to chair and back again. __**'Have fun mummy!'**_

_Chummy hesitated. __**'I can stay, or stay at least until they are asleep?'**_

_Peter continued to push Chummy into the hallway where he shut the door of the Living room. __**'Go, enjoy yourself! Trixie will be waiting for you!'**_

_Chummy stood still, she felt so guilty for leaving Peter with the children, especially when they were so hyper. Earlier, Freddie had found Peter's stash of fudge, eating whole tub, and Edie, well she was just a little handful. All the time. She always had tons of energy, Chummy's days are filled with endlessly entertaining Edie._

_Peter kissed her. __**'Go, you deserve a break! When's the last time you went out?'**__ Chummy started to think. __**'Without me and the children!'**__ Peter added._

_Chummy laughed as she kissed her husband again but just as she was about to leave the sound of crying echoed from the living room. She turned back and hurtled towards the door. Peter stood with his arm outstretched. __**'Stop! I've got it! You go!'**_

_Chummy sheepishly walked out. Peter opened the door. There was Freddie consoling his sister. __**'I'm sorry daddy, I jumped the wrong way!'**_

_**'Fed hurt me!'**__ Sobbed Edie as she ran to her father, he picked her up._

_Edie hadn't quite mastered Freddie's name, but 'Fed or Feddie' was good enough. Peter sat on the sofa and tucked Edie under his left arm. He winked at Freddie and signaled his that his other arm was still free. Freddie jumped up onto the sofa and tucked himself in tightly. Peter whipped the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around them._

_'__**Tell us a story daddy!'**__ Begged Freddie._

_**'Please Daddy!'**__ Said Edie as she fluttered her long eyelashes._

_Peter thought for a moment, he was no good at telling stories. He knew that once he started talking, they'd instantly become bored. Or maybe, just maybe, they would fall asleep?_

_**'No that's never going to happen!'**__ Peter said aloud._

_The children just looked at him, he smiled awkwardly. __**'Right, lets think.'**__ He stalled, scratched his head, hoping to miraculously think up a story. __**'Once upon a time... No. There once was... No.'**_

_**'Come on daddy!'**__ Freddie said impatiently. _

_**'Okay, I've got it!' **__He lied, he didn't have anything. He looked around the room for props. Things he could use to create a story. He untucked the blanket and made his way over to the toy box. All that was inside was Freddie's Peter Rabbit and Edie's little bear. Peter panicked. _

_**'Move over Daddy, I'll tell you a story!'**__ Bellowed Freddie as he dived for the toy box. Peter retreated back to the sofa. _

_Freddie started to clear his throat. __**'Are you sitting comfortably?'**__ They both nodded, Peter smirked. Since when was his son so grown up? __**'This is Peter, he's a rabbit, and this is Camilla, she's a bear!'**__ Smirked Freddie. __**'One day, Camilla the bear was strolling though...'**__ Freddie moved the Hibiscus plant next to the toy box. __**'The woods, when she came across a...'**__ Freddie spotted a toy owl on the armchair, he placed it in the plant._** '**_**An owl. The owl was sad. Very sad. He was stuck in the tree.'**_ _Freddie puts on a silly high pitch voice. __**'Um, good evening! Are you okay up there? You look awfully sad!'**__ He changes to low croaky voice.__** 'I seem to be stuck, could you possibly help me?'**__ Freddie winks at his father and returns to the high pitch voice. __**'Of course I can, but I'm not quite sure how' **_

**_'You are very tall, maybe you could stretch up and reach me?'_** _Said Freddie in the croaky voice, gradually merging into his normal voice. __**'Camilla stretched but just wasn't tall enough!'**__ Freddie smiled as he sister watched on, the high pitch voice returned. __**'Can you not fly down?' 'My wings hurt'**__ Laughed Freddie as he moved the owl side to side. '__**Oh I forgot to change my voice!'**__ Said Freddie sounding disappointed._

_**'Don't worry, you're doing great!'**__ Encouraged Peter as Edie cuddled up to him._

_**'I need to find something to hep me reach you! Maybe a stick?'**__ Freddie pulled a dead branch from the Hibiscus plant and waved it in between the two toys. __**'Grab on!'**__ Moments passed, Freddie still waving the stick, pretending the owl still couldn't reach. __**'We need someone else, you could hold them up and I could grab onto them!'**__ Said Freddie in the Owl's voice. __**'Just as the owl stopped talking a Rabbit walked past!'**__ Freddie bounced the Rabbit along the Toy box and started to speak in a really quiet voice. __**'Good Evening, are you two okay?' **_

_Edie was beginning to drop off to sleep, her eyes grew heavy, but she battled through. '__**We could do with some help, if it didn't trouble you?' **_

_**'The rabbit introduced himself. I am Peter, Peter Rabbit. I live under this tree.'**__ Freddie switched back to the high pitched voice. __**'Very nice to meet you Peter, would you be able to help us?'**__ '__**Why certainly! How can I help?' 'Jump up on to my shoulders and reach for owl.'**__ Freddie resumed his normal voice. '__**The three worked together and eventually Owl was rescued! The End.'**_

_Peter clapped ever so quietly, only because Edie had finally fallen asleep. __**'Bravo young sir! You are such a good storyteller!'**_

_**'Thank you Daddy, maybe next time you can tell us one!'**__ Winked Freddie as he headed up to bed. _

_Peter cuddled up to Edie, he wanted to make sure she was definitely asleep before trying to move her. Half an hour passed, he gently stood up. She did not stir. He traipsed upstairs, Freddie was already fast asleep and snoring. He placed Edie in her room. Tip-toed into Freddie's room to tuck him in and give him a quick kiss. The went back downstairs, to tidy the toys away._

_**'Hello Peter, my name is Camilla, how very nice to meet you!'**__ Joshed Peter._

_**'Why am I always the bear?'**__ Asked Chummy as she appeared in the doorway, making Peter jump._

_**'Speak to your son, he chose the characters!'**__ Laughed Peter as he threw the toys into the toy box and walked over to his wife.__** 'Did you have a good time?'**_

_'__**I did thank you, what about you three? How bad were they?'**__ Quizzed Chummy, dreading the answer._

_**'They were brilliant! Tonight made me realise what wonderful children we have!'**__ Said Peter lovingly as he took his wife's hands. _

**_'You're not saying that when they have you up at 2am!' _**_Giggled Chummy._

_**'No, really. We've done such a good job with them, don't you think?' **__Smiled Peter._

_**'We have. Yes. Peter? Why are you looking at me like that?'**__ She knew what he was going to say, but before he could, she added; __**'No Peter!'**_

_She ran upstairs to try and get away from Peter and his burning question, but she didn't, he ran after her shouting __**'Shall we have another one?'**_


End file.
